This episode of StartupNation Radio is brought to you by Pappas Financial
On this episode of StartupNation Radio, your host, Jeff Sloan, talks with several entrepreneurs who are working hard in downtown Detroit.
First up is Amanda Lewan, co-founder of Detroit’s largest coworking space, Bamboo Detroit. With 250 members, Bamboo helps entrepreneurs start and grow or “land and expand” into Detroit.
Also on air is Dwain Watkins, co-founder of Cellular EMT (the “Lyft of phone repair”), a mobile on demand tech/cell phone repair company, who became a member of Bamboo in January of last year. He shares how the Bamboo community allowed his company to grow and took him from a small business owner to an entrepreneur.
During the show, Amanda discusses:
- The benefits of using a shared workspace or co-working space
- What the Bamboo community provides entrepreneurs
- Bamboo’s lean startup story
- How Bamboo is building the tech and startup community in Detroit
To learn more about Bamboo Detroit, visit the official website and stay up-to-date with the latest on Facebook.
You can also listen to Amanda’s interview with StartupNation Radio at this year’s Detroit Startup Week here.
Related: Detroit Startup Week feat. Amanda Lewan, Lindsey Walenga and Pam Lewis
Next, Jeff speaks with Kyle Steiner, community director of WeWork Detroit. Founded in 2010, WeWork has upwards of 200,000 members with 200 locations worldwide, offering service, coworking space and community. Once signed up, members receive access to all WeWork spaces, which is ideal for remote workers traveling anywhere from Boston to Buenos Aires.
During the show, Kyle talks about:
- The flexibility of WeWork’s coworking membership
- WeWork’s community and its direct contribution to supporting startups through networking and more
- How to grow your business through WeWork’s shared space
- What’s next for WeWork
For more on WeWork Detroit, visit the official website.
Finally, Jeff chats with Mitch Albom, best-selling author, journalist, philanthropist and, among many other accolades, creator of the Detroit Water Ice Factory.
In 2015, Albom created the Detroit Water Ice Factory, following the “Newman’s Own” model of philanthropy, in which the company’s mission is to offer a top-of-the-line food product, with the sole goal of raising funds to help others.
All profits from Detroit Water Ice directly benefit SAY Detroit charities. SAY Detroit provides an “umbrella” of resources serving everyone from newborns, teens, senior citizens, our honored veterans, and the homeless in Detroit.
During the show, Mitch talks about:
- The Detroit Water Ice Factory business model
- The importance of an entrepreneurial mind, whether your company’s profit is going into your own pocket or that of a charity
- How Detroit Water Ice expanded its product line
- What drives him as a business person
For more information on the Detroit Water Ice Factory, visit the official website. You can learn more about Mitch Albom and his various projects here.
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